[Factors associated with lost of follow-up of men who have sex with men in a gay bathhouse cohort study in Tianjin, 2012-2015]

Objective: To understand the rate of follow-up lost in men who have sex with men (MSM) in a gay bathhouse cohort study in Tianjin and the associated factors. Methods: The open cohort study in gay bathhouse was launched in 2012 in Tianjin, and the MSM for baseline survey were recruited from January to June 2012, while the follow up was carried out every six months. A questionnaire survey and HIV test were conducted in the study. The MSM who were HIV negative in the baseline survey in 2012 were used for follow up lost analysis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify the factors associated with the lost of follow-up. Results: A total of 658 gay bathhouse patrons were recruited in the baseline survey, at the end of 42-month follow-up period, 173 of them dropped out (26.3%). Multivariate analysis showed that the MSM who were local residents (OR=0.552, 95%CI: 0.377-0.808), in Han ethnic group (OR=0.197, 95% CI: 0.066-0.593), having received HIV test in the last year (OR=0.481, 95% CI: 0.326-0.710), were male sex workers (OR=0.127, 95% CI: 0.028-0.585), and believed to be at high risk for HIV infection (OR=0.285, 95% CI: 0.125-0.647). They were more likely to receive follow-up but the MSM who were aged ≥35 years (OR=1.891, 95%CI: 1.022-3.500) were more likely to be lost in the follow-up. Conclusion: The lost rate of follow-up in MSM in the gay bathhouse cohort was high in Tianjin. Age, household registration, history of HIV test, the awareness of the risk to be infected with HIV and commercial homosex were factors associated with the follow-up rate in the MSM. It is necessary to conduct similar cohort study in targeted population on the basis of findings of this study.

Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay experiment has observed correlations between reactor core fuel evolution and changes in the reactor antineutrino flux and energy spectrum. Four antineutrino detectors in two experimental halls were used to identify 2.2 million inverse beta decays (IBDs) over 1230 days spanning multiple fuel cycles for each of six 2.9 GW_{th} reactor cores at the Daya Bay and Ling Ao nuclear power plants. Using detector data spanning effective ^{239}Pu fission fractions F_{239} from 0.25 to 0.35, Daya Bay measures an average IBD yield σ[over ¯]_{f} of (5.90±0.13)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission and a fuel-dependent variation in the IBD yield, dσ_{f}/dF_{239}, of (-1.86±0.18)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission. This observation rejects the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino flux as a function of the ^{239}Pu fission fraction at 10 standard deviations. The variation in IBD yield is found to be energy dependent, rejecting the hypothesis of a constant antineutrino energy spectrum at 5.1 standard deviations. While measurements of the evolution in the IBD spectrum show general agreement with predictions from recent reactor models, the measured evolution in total IBD yield disagrees with recent predictions at 3.1σ. This discrepancy indicates that an overall deficit in the measured flux with respect to predictions does not result from equal fractional deficits from the primary fission isotopes ^{235}U, ^{239}Pu, ^{238}U, and ^{241}Pu. Based on measured IBD yield variations, yields of (6.17±0.17) and (4.27±0.26)×10^{-43}  cm^{2}/fission have been determined for the two dominant fission parent isotopes ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu. A 7.8% discrepancy between the observed and predicted ^{235}U yields suggests that this isotope may be the primary contributor to the reactor antineutrino anomaly.

[Meta-analysis on the positive rate of HIV among MSM with bathhouse as the major venue of sexual practice]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the positive rates on HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) who took bathhouse as the major place for sexual practice in China, between 2010 and 2015.

METHODS

Articles published between 2010 and 2015 from CNKI, Wanfang Data, CJFD and PubMed were collected and Stata 12.0 software was used for Meta-analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 14 articles were selected. Random effects model was employed to calculate the pooled positive rate according to statistical tests for homogeneity with the result I(2)=88.1%. The pooled positive rate appeared as 10.3%, with 95%CI as 7.7%-13.0%. Publication bias was assessed by Egger' s test and funnel plot. After stratified analysis on factors as: sample size, year, region and methods on recruitment, the pooled positive rate of HIV appeared higher in people living in the coastal provinces than those in the inland provinces.

CONCLUSION

The pooled positive rate of HIV identified from the bathhouses appeared higher than that from other places through, the national HIV sentinel surveillance data, with coastal higher than that in the inland provinces. Bathhouse was recognized as the key place to be carried on intervention programs for the MSM population.

Limits on Active to Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments

Searches for a light sterile neutrino have been performed independently by the MINOS and the Daya Bay experiments using the muon (anti)neutrino and electron antineutrino disappearance channels, respectively. In this Letter, results from both experiments are combined with those from the Bugey-3 reactor neutrino experiment to constrain oscillations into light sterile neutrinos. The three experiments are sensitive to complementary regions of parameter space, enabling the combined analysis to probe regions allowed by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE experiments in a minimally extended four-neutrino flavor framework. Stringent limits on sin^{2}2θ_{μe} are set over 6 orders of magnitude in the sterile mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}. The sterile-neutrino mixing phase space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments is excluded for Δm_{41}^{2}<0.8  eV^{2} at 95%  CL_{s}.

Improved Search for a Light Sterile Neutrino with the Full Configuration of the Daya Bay Experiment

This Letter reports an improved search for light sterile neutrino mixing in the electron antineutrino disappearance channel with the full configuration of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. With an additional 404 days of data collected in eight antineutrino detectors, this search benefits from 3.6 times the statistics available to the previous publication, as well as from improvements in energy calibration and background reduction. A relative comparison of the rate and energy spectrum of reactor antineutrinos in the three experimental halls yields no evidence of sterile neutrino mixing in the 2×10^{-4}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.3  eV^{2} mass range. The resulting limits on sin^{2}2θ_{14} are improved by approx imately a factor of 2 over previous results and constitute the most stringent constraints to date in the |Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.2  eV^{2} region.

Progress of Experimental Research on Nuclear Safety in NPIC

Two kinds of Generation III commercial nuclear power plants have been developed in CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation), one is a small modular reactor ACP100 having an equivalent electric power 100 MW, and the other is HPR1000 (once named ACP1000) having an equivalent electric power 1 000 MW. Both NPPs widely adopted the design philosophy of advanced passive safety systems and considered the lessons from Fukushima Daichi nuclear accident. As the backbone of the R&D of ACP100 and HPR1000, NPIC (Nuclear power Institute of China) has finished the engineering verification test of main safety systems, including passive residual heat removal experiments, reactor cavity injection experiments, hydrogen combustion experiments, and passive autocatalytic recombiner experiments. Above experimental work conducted in NPIC and further research plan of nuclear safety are introduced in this paper.

[Cytology of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma of lung: a comparative study]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the roles of cytomorphology and immunohistochemistry in distinguishing between basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC) and small cell carcinoma (SCC) of lung.

METHODS

The direct smears and/or liquid-based cytology preparation (ThinPrep) of bronchial brushing/washing and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens from 17 cases of biopsy-proven BSC of lung were retrospectively reviewed and compared with those from 17 cases of SCC. The cytomorphologic parameters analyzed included proportion of cohesive cell clusters, cell palisades/rosettes, adenoid cystic features, crushing artifact, nuclear maximum diameter, nuclear molding, scantiness of cytoplasm,"salt-and-pepper"nuclei, distinct nucleoli, spindly configuration, individual cell keratinization, necrosis, hyaline material, apoptosis and mitotic activity. Immunocytochemical/immunohistochemical study of 25 cases was performed. Ten FNA samples of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma were also analyzed for epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in exons 18, 19, 20 and 21 using amplification refractory mutation system.

RESULTS

Most of the 17 BSC cases (15/17) showed a predominance of tightly cohesive tumor cell clusters. The proportion of isolated tumor cells was high in SCC (more than 60% in 14 cases). The nuclear maximum diameter of BSC was slightly larger than that of SCC (9 to 11 μm in BSC versus 7 to 9 μm in SCC)."Salt-in-pepper"nuclei, nuclear molding and crushing artifact were detected in all SCC cases (15/17, 17/17 and 14/17, respectively). These features were only occasionally found in BSC group. Nucleoli were present in BSC and rarely (2/17) in SCC. Only 9 of 17 BSC cases showed individual cell keratinization. The differences in the above-mentioned cytomorphologic features were statistically significance (P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry performed on the cell block sections and immunocytochemistry performed on the ThinPrep slides were identical to that performed on the corresponding biopsy specimens. The tumor cells in BSC were consistently positive for CK5, p40 and p63. TTF1, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and CD56 were positive in most of SCC. One of SCC cases showed focal PAX5 expression. No EGFR mutations were detected in the 10 BSC cases studied.

CONCLUSIONS

Selected cytomorphologic features, including presence of cohesive cell clusters, larger nuclear size, distinct nucleoli, lack of crushing artifact, absence of nuclear molding and presence of individual cell keratinization, are helpful in diagnosing BSC on cytology specimens. Immunohistochemistry using a panel of TTF1, CK5, p40/p63 and chromogranin A/synaptophysin/CD56 provides further clues in differential diagnosis between BSC and SCC. EGFR mutation study is often negative in lung BSC.

Centrality-Dependent Modification of Jet-Production Rates in Deuteron-Gold Collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV

Jet production rates are measured in p+p and d+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV recorded in 2008 with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Jets are reconstructed using the R=0.3 anti-k_{t} algorithm from energy deposits in the electromagnetic calorimeter and charged tracks in multiwire proportional chambers, and the jet transverse momentum (p_{T}) spectra are corrected for the detector response. Spectra are reported for jets with 12<p_{T}<50  GeV/c, within a pseudorapidity acceptance of |η|<0.3. The nuclear-modification factor (R_{dAu}) values for 0%-100% d+Au events are found to be consistent with unity, constraining the role of initial state effects on jet production. However, the centrality-selected R_{dAu} values and central-to-peripheral ratios (R_{CP}) show large, p_{T}-dependent deviations from unity, challenging the conventional models that relate hard-process rates and soft-particle production in collisions involving nuclei.

Measurement of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

This Letter reports a measurement of the flux and energy spectrum of electron antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth nuclear reactors with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls in the Daya Bay experiment. Using 217 days of data, 296 721 and 41 589 inverse β decay (IBD) candidates were detected in the near and far halls, respectively. The measured IBD yield is (1.55±0.04) ×10(-18)  cm(2) GW(-1) day(-1) or (5.92±0.14) ×10(-43)  cm(2) fission(-1). This flux measurement is consistent with previous short-baseline reactor antineutrino experiments and is 0.946±0.022 (0.991±0.023) relative to the flux predicted with the Huber-Mueller (ILL-Vogel) fissile antineutrino model. The measured IBD positron energy spectrum deviates from both spectral predictions by more than 2σ over the full energy range with a local significance of up to ∼4σ between 4-6 MeV. A reactor antineutrino spectrum of IBD reactions is extracted from the measured positron energy spectrum for model-independent predictions.

Measurements of Elliptic and Triangular Flow in High-Multiplicity 3He+Au Collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV

We present the first measurement of elliptic (v(2)) and triangular (v(3)) flow in high-multiplicity (3)He+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200  GeV. Two-particle correlations, where the particles have a large separation in pseudorapidity, are compared in (3)He+Au and in p+p collisions and indicate that collective effects dominate the second and third Fourier components for the correlations observed in the (3)He+Au system. The collective behavior is quantified in terms of elliptic v(2) and triangular v(3) anisotropy coefficients measured with respect to their corresponding event planes. The v(2) values are comparable to those previously measured in d+Au collisions at the same nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy. Comparisons with various theoretical predictions are made, including to models where the hot spots created by the impact of the three (3)He nucleons on the Au nucleus expand hydrodynamically to generate the triangular flow. The agreement of these models with data may indicate the formation of low-viscosity quark-gluon plasma even in these small collision systems.

New measurement of antineutrino oscillation with the full detector configuration at Daya Bay

We report a new measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using the fully constructed Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. The final two of eight antineutrino detectors were installed in the summer of 2012. Including the 404 days of data collected from October 2012 to November 2013 resulted in a total exposure of 6.9×10^{5} GW_{th}  ton days, a 3.6 times increase over our previous results. Improvements in energy calibration limited variations between detectors to 0.2%. Removal of six ^{241}Am-^{13}C radioactive calibration sources reduced the background by a factor of 2 for the detectors in the experimental hall furthest from the reactors. Direct prediction of the antineutrino signal in the far detectors based on the measurements in the near detectors explicitly minimized the dependence of the measurement on models of reactor antineutrino emission. The uncertainties in our estimates of sin^{2}2θ_{13} and |Δm_{ee}^{2}| were halved as a result of these improvements. An analysis of the relative antineutrino rates and energy spectra between detectors gave sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.084±0.005 and |Δm_{ee}^{2}|=(2.42±0.11)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} in the three-neutrino framework.

Miniature and robust optical fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on a hollow ellipsoid

An optical fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on a hollow ellipsoid fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining and fusion-splicing technique is demonstrated. The surface of the hollow ellipsoid acts as an internal mirror that can be utilized for the construction of an interferometer. Such an interferometer device is miniature and robust and can perform external refractive index, curvature, and high-temperature sensing in a mutually independent way, and hence a simultaneous multiple parameter measurement capability can be readily achieved.

TTAGG-repeat telomeres and characterization of telomerase in the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Telomeres are maintained usually by telomerase, a specialized reverse transcriptase that adds this sequence to chromosome ends. In this study, telomerase activity was detected in the in different somatic tissues, such as midgut and fat bodies, by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) in Spodoptera exigua. The structure of the telomeres of S. exigua was evaluated by sequence analysis of the TRAP products, revealing that the telomerase synthesized a (TTAGG)n repeat. The presence of a telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunit coding gene has been cloned, sequenced and expressed in vitro successively. Notably, the S. exigua telomerase (SpexTERT) gene structure lacks the N-terminal GQ motif. Telomerase contains a large RNA subunit, TER, and a protein catalytic subunit, TERT. Here we report an in vitro system that was reconstructed by all components of the telomerase complex, a purified recombinant SpexTERT without a N-terminal GQ motif and a mutant human telomerase RNA (TER), showed telomerase activity. Together, these results suggest the GQ motif is not essential for telomerase catalysis.

Lack of mature lymphocytes results in obese but metabolically healthy mice when fed a high-fat diet

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Obesity is characterized by chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation, as well as insulin resistance, but the link between obesity and adaptive immunity remains to be fully studied.

METHODS

To elucidate the role of adaptive immunity on body composition, glucose homeostasis and inflammation, recombination-activating gene 1 knockout (Rag1-/-) mice, without mature T-lymphocytes or B-lymphocytes, were maintained on a low- or high-fat diet (LFD and HFD, respectively) for 11 weeks.

RESULTS

Rag1-/- mice fed HFD gained significantly more weight and had increased body fat compared with wild type. Downregulation of energy expenditure as well as brown fat uncoupling protein UCP-1 and UCP-3 gene expression were noticed in HFD-fed Rag1-/- mice compared with LFD. HFD mice had significantly decreased energy intake compared with LFD mice, consistent with decreased agouti-related protein and increased pro-opiomelanocortin gene expression levels in the hypothalamus. Moreover, compared with wild type, Rag1-/- mice had lower interleukin (IL)-4 levels, a cytokine recently found to induce browning in white adipocytes, and higher IL-12 levels in HFD-fed Rag1-/- mice. Despite that HFD Rag1-/- mice were more obese, they had similar glucose, insulin and adiponectin levels, while leptin was marginally increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Mice with deficiency in adaptive immunity are obese, partly owing to decreased energy expenditure, but are metabolically normal, suggesting that mature lymphocytes have necessary roles in the development of obesity-related metabolic dysregulation.

Measurement of Long-Range Angular Correlation and Quadrupole Anisotropy of Pions and (Anti)Protons in Central d+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We present azimuthal angular correlations between charged hadrons and energy deposited in calorimeter towers in central d+Au and minimum bias p+p collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV. The charged hadron is measured at midrapidity |η|<0.35, and the energy is measured at large rapidity (-3.7<η<-3.1, Au-going direction). An enhanced near-side angular correlation across |Δη|>2.75 is observed in d+Au collisions. Using the event plane method applied to the Au-going energy distribution, we extract the anisotropy strength v_{2} for inclusive charged hadrons at midrapidity up to p_{T}=4.5 GeV/c. We also present the measurement of v_{2} for identified π^{±} and (anti)protons in central d+Au collisions, and observe a mass-ordering pattern similar to that seen in heavy-ion collisions. These results are compared with viscous hydrodynamic calculations and measurements from p+Pb at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV. The magnitude of the mass ordering in d+Au is found to be smaller than that in p+Pb collisions, which may indicate smaller radial flow in lower energy d+Au collisions.

Search for a light sterile neutrino at Daya Bay

A search for light sterile neutrino mixing was performed with the first 217 days of data from the Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment. The experiment's unique configuration of multiple baselines from six 2.9 GW(th) nuclear reactors to six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 m and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls makes it possible to test for oscillations to a fourth (sterile) neutrino in the 10(-3) eV(2)<|Δm(41)(2) |< 0.3 eV(2) range. The relative spectral distortion due to the disappearance of electron antineutrinos was found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. The derived limits on sin(2) 2θ(14) cover the 10(-3) eV(2) ≲ |Δm(41)(2)| ≲ 0.1 eV(2) region, which was largely unexplored.

Utilization of excess NADH in 2,3-butanediol-deficient Klebsiella pneumoniae for 1,3-propanediol production

AIMS

To utilize excess NADH for 1,3-propanediol production by 2,3-butanediol-deficient mutants, the effect of dhaT overexpression in two distinct 2,3-butanediol-deficient mutants was investigated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Two 2,3-butanediol-deficient mutants, KG1-3 (blocking of the 2,3-butanediol pathway only) and KG1-5 (blocking of both of 2,3-butanediol and lactate pathways) were constructed. Our results showed that although the intracellular redox balance (NADH/NAD(+)) was extremely high at the end of fermentation for both mutants, the status of intracellular redox in KG1-5 was maintained at a normal level following the first stage of fermentation. Analysis of cell growth and metabolite formation confirmed the inhibition of excess lactate in 2,3-butanediol pathway-deficient mutants. Furthermore, dhaT was overexpressed in two 2,3-butanediol-deficient mutants (KG1-3T and KG1-5T). In KG1-5T, the intracellular redox balance was restored to normal and 1,3-propanediol production increased. The yield of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol in KG1-5T was also restored to a normal level of 0·6.

CONCLUSIONS

The excess NADH in both the 2,3-butanediol- and lactate-deficient mutants can be used by overexpresstion of dhaT.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

The metabolic flux tended to increase lactate production by the abolishment of the 2,3-butanediol pathway in Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the high accumulation of lactate prevented the cell from using excess NADH, thereby inhibiting cell growth and 1,3-propanediol production.

Cold-nuclear-matter effects on heavy-quark production at forward and backward rapidity in d + Au collisions at √sNN = 200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment has measured open heavy-flavor production via semileptonic decay over the transverse momentum range 1 < p(T) < 6  GeV/c at forward and backward rapidity (1.4 < |y| < 2.0) in d+Au and p + p collisions at √sNN = 200  GeV. In central d+Au collisions, relative to the yield in p + p collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions, a suppression is observed at forward rapidity (in the d-going direction) and an enhancement at backward rapidity (in the Au-going direction). Predictions using nuclear-modified-parton-distribution functions, even with additional nuclear-p(T) broadening, cannot simultaneously reproduce the data at both rapidity ranges, which implies that these models are incomplete and suggests the possible importance of final-state interactions in the asymmetric d + Au collision system. These results can be used to probe cold-nuclear-matter effects, which may significantly affect heavy-quark production, in addition to helping constrain the magnitude of charmonia-breakup effects in nuclear matter.

Azimuthal-angle dependence of charged-pion-interferometry measurements with respect to second- and third-order event planes in Au+Au collisions at √[S(NN)]=200 GeV

Charged-pion-interferometry measurements were made with respect to the second- and third-order event plane for Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. A strong azimuthal-angle dependence of the extracted Gaussian-source radii was observed with respect to both the second- and third-order event planes. The results for the second-order dependence indicate that the initial eccentricity is reduced during the medium evolution, which is consistent with previous results. In contrast, the results for the third-order dependence indicate that the initial triangular shape is significantly reduced and potentially reversed by the end of the medium evolution, and that the third-order oscillations are largely dominated by the dynamical effects from triangular flow.

Phase II study of concurrent selective lymph node late course accelerated hyper-fractionated radiotherapy and pemetrexed and cisplatin for locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed combined with low-dose cisplatin (CDDP) concurrent with late-course accelerated hyperfractionated (LCAF) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients with inoperable locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

Patients with locally advanced ESCC (less than or equal to 75 years of age, clinical stages IIB-IVA and Karnofsky performance status ≥70) were enrolled into the study. A target group size of 22 was projected based on the estimation that 2-year overall survival (OS) would increase from 20% to 40%. Patients were treated with pemetrexed, low-dose CDDP and LCAF IMRT concurrently. The main objective of the study was for a 2-year OS, and the secondary objectives were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response, locoregional failure rate, and acute and late toxicities.

RESULTS

25 patients were recruited from October 2008 to July 2011. The median OS was 21 months, with 2- and 5-year OS rates of 44% and 44%, respectively. The median PFS was 18.2 months. The objective response rate was 96% (24/25), with 11 complete responses and 13 partial responses. The locoregional failure rate was 16%. Grades 4 and 5 acute toxicity rates were 8% and 4%, respectively, while no Grade 3 or greater late toxicity was observed.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this Phase II study indicated that the therapeutic regimen appears to achieve an excellent response rate and favourable survival for locally advanced ESCC. However, the severe acute side effects should be considered cautiously in further studies.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

To our knowledge, this is the first study that introduced pemetrexed and low-dose CDDP combined with LCAF IMRT to treat locally advanced ESCC. The 5-year OS rate was as high as 44%, which was more favourable than other studies.

Spectral measurement of electron antineutrino oscillation amplitude and frequency at Daya Bay

A measurement of the energy dependence of antineutrino disappearance at the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment is reported. Electron antineutrinos (ν¯(e)) from six 2.9  GW(th) reactors were detected with six detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls. Using 217 days of data, 41 589 (203 809 and 92 912) antineutrino candidates were detected in the far hall (near halls). An improved measurement of the oscillation amplitude sin(2)2θ(13)=0.090(-0.009)(+0.008) and the first direct measurement of the ν¯(e) mass-squared difference |Δm(ee)2|=(2.59(-0.20)(+0.19))×10(-3)  eV2 is obtained using the observed ν¯(e) rates and energy spectra in a three-neutrino framework. This value of |Δm(ee)2| is consistent with |Δm(μμ)2| measured by muon neutrino disappearance, supporting the three-flavor oscillation model.

The effect of the endothelial cell cortex on atomic force microscopy measurements

We examined whether the presence of the cell cortex might explain, in part, why previous studies using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure cell modulus (E) gave higher values with sharp tips than for larger spherical tips. We confirmed these AFM findings in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and Schlemm's canal (SC) endothelial cells with AFM indentation ≤ 400 nm, two cell types with prominent cortices (312 ± 65 nm in HUVEC and 371 ± 91 nm in SC cells). With spherical tips, E (kPa) was 0.71 ± 0.16 in HUVEC and 0.94 ± 0.06 in SC cells. Much higher values of E were measured using sharp tips: 3.23 ± 0.54 in HUVEC and 6.67 ± 1.07 in SC cells. Previous explanations for this difference such as strain hardening or a substrate effect were shown to be inconsistent with our measurements. Finite element modeling studies showed that a stiff cell cortex could explain the results. In both cell types, Latrunculin-A greatly reduced E for sharp and rounded tips, and also reduced the ratio of the values measured with a sharp tip as compared to a rounded tip. Our results suggest that the cell cortex increases the apparent endothelial cell modulus considerably when measured using a sharp AFM tip.

A biomarker panel and psychological morbidity differentiates the irritable bowel syndrome from health and provides novel pathophysiological leads

BACKGROUNDS

The development of a reliable biomarker for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains one of the major aims of research in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and is complicated by the absence of a perfect reference standard. Previous efforts based on genetic and immune markers have showed promise, but have not been robust.

AIM

To evaluate an extensive panel of gene expression and serology markers combined with psychological measures in differentiating IBS from health and between subtypes of IBS.

METHODS

Of subjects eligible for analysis (N = 244), 168 met criteria for IBS (60 IBS-C, 57 IBS-D and 51 mixed), while 76 were free of any FGID. A total of 34 markers were selected based on pathways implicated in pathophysiology of IBS or whole human genome screening. Psychological measures were recorded that covered anxiety, depression and somatisation. Models differentiating disease and health were based on unconditional logistic regression and performance assessed through area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity.

RESULTS

The performance of a combination of 34 markers was good in differentiating IBS from health (AUC = 0.81) and was improved considerably with the addition of four psychological markers (combined AUC = 0.93). Of the 34 markers considered, discrimination was derived largely from a small subset. Good discrimination was also obtained between IBS subtypes with the best being observed for IBS-C vs. IBS-D (AUC = 0.92); however, psychological variables provided almost no incremental discrimination subtypes over biological markers (combined AUC = 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of gene expression and serological markers in combination with psychological measures shows exciting progress towards a diagnostic test for IBS compared with healthy subjects, and to discriminate IBS-C from IBS-D.

Localization and behaviors in null mice suggest that ASIC1 and ASIC2 modulate responses to aversive stimuli

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) generate H(+) -gated Na(+) currents that contribute to neuronal function and animal behavior. Like ASIC1, ASIC2 subunits are expressed in the brain and multimerize with ASIC1 to influence acid-evoked currents and facilitate ASIC1 localization to dendritic spines. To better understand how ASIC2 contributes to brain function, we localized the protein and tested the behavioral consequences of ASIC2 gene disruption. For comparison, we also localized ASIC1 and studied ASIC1(-/-) mice. ASIC2 was prominently expressed in areas of high synaptic density, and with a few exceptions, ASIC1 and ASIC2 localization exhibited substantial overlap. Loss of ASIC1 or ASIC2 decreased freezing behavior in contextual and auditory cue fear conditioning assays, in response to predator odor and in response to CO2 inhalation. In addition, loss of ASIC1 or ASIC2 increased activity in a forced swim assay. These data suggest that ASIC2, like ASIC1, plays a key role in determining the defensive response to aversive stimuli. They also raise the question of whether gene variations in both ASIC1 and ASIC2 might affect fear and panic in humans.

Quadrupole anisotropy in dihadron azimuthal correlations in central d+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV

The PHENIX collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) reports measurements of azimuthal dihadron correlations near midrapidity in d+Au collisions at √(s(NN))=200 GeV. These measurements complement recent analyses by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) involving central p+Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV, which have indicated strong anisotropic long-range correlations in angular distributions of hadron pairs. The origin of these anisotropies is currently unknown. Various competing explanations include parton saturation and hydrodynamic flow. We observe qualitatively similar, but larger, anisotropies in d+Au collisions at RHIC compared to those seen in p+Pb collisions at the LHC. The larger extracted v2 values in d+Au are consistent with expectations from hydrodynamic calculations owing to the larger expected initial-state eccentricity compared with that from p+Pb collisions. When both are divided by an estimate of the initial-state eccentricity the scaled anisotropies follow a common trend with multiplicity that may extend to heavy ion data at RHIC and the LHC, where the anisotropies are widely thought to arise from hydrodynamic flow.

Nuclear modification of ψ', χc, and J/ψ production in d+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV

We present results for three charmonia states (ψ', χc, and J/ψ) in d+Au collisions at |y|<0.35 and sqrt[s(NN)]=200  GeV. We find that the modification of the ψ' yield relative to that of the J/ψ scales approximately with charged particle multiplicity at midrapidity across p+A, d+Au, and A+A results from the Super Proton Synchrotron and the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In large-impact-parameter collisions we observe a similar suppression for the ψ' and J/ψ, while in small-impact-parameter collisions the more weakly bound ψ' is more strongly suppressed. Owing to the short time spent traversing the Au nucleus, the larger ψ' suppression in central events is not explained by an increase of the nuclear absorption owing to meson formation time effects.

Medium modification of jet fragmentation in Au+Au collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV measured in direct photon-hadron correlations

The jet fragmentation function is measured with direct photon-hadron correlations in p+p and Au+Au collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The p(T) of the photon is an excellent approximation to the initial p(T) of the jet and the ratio z(T)=p(T)(h)/p(T)(γ) is used as a proxy for the jet fragmentation function. A statistical subtraction is used to extract the direct photon-hadron yields in Au+Au collisions while a photon isolation cut is applied in p+p. I(AA), the ratio of hadron yield opposite the photon in Au+Au to that in p+p, indicates modification of the jet fragmentation function. Suppression, most likely due to energy loss in the medium, is seen at high z(T). The associated hadron yield at low z(T) is enhanced at large angles. Such a trend is expected from redistribution of the lost energy into increased production of low-momentum particles.

Synergistic effects of diosmetin with erythromycin against ABC transporter over-expressed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) RN4220/pUL5054 and inhibition of MRSA pyruvate kinase

Increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) worldwide with limited therapeutic options is a growing public health concern. Natural products have been shown to possess antibacterial actions against MRSA. Flavonoids from natural products have been shown to possess antibacterial actions against MRSA by antagonizing its resistance mechanisms. Diosmin and diosmetin are natural flavonoids found in a variety of citrus fruits. The aim of this study was to investigate whether diosmin and diosmetin could inhibit the growth of MRSA and the in vitro enzymatic activity of a newly discovered MRSA drug target, pyruvate kinase (PK). By using a panel of MRSA strains with known resistant mechanisms, neither diosmin nor diosmetin was shown to possess direct antibacterial activities against all tested MRSA strains. However, in checkerboard assay, we found that diosmetin together with erythromycin, could synergistically inhibit the growth of ABC-pump overexpressed MRSA-RN4220/pUL5054, and time kill assay also showed that the antibacterial activities of diosmetin with erythromycin were bactericidal. Diosmetin was further shown to significantly suppress the MRSA PK activities in a dose dependent manner. In conclusion, the inhibition of MRSA PK by diosmetin could lead to a deficiency of ATP and affect the bacterial efflux pump which might contribute to the antibacterial actions of diosmetin against MRSA.

The effect of complete radial lateral meniscus posterior root tear on the knee contact mechanics: a finite element analysis

BACKGROUND

In recent years, with technological advances in arthroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging and improved biomechanical studies of the meniscus, there has been some progress in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries to the roots of the meniscus. However, the biomechanical effect of posterior lateral meniscus root tears on the knee has not yet become clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a complete radial posterior lateral meniscus root tear on the knee contact mechanics and the function of the posterior meniscofemoral ligament on the knee with tear in the posterior root of lateral meniscus.

METHODS

A finite element model of the knee was developed to simulate different cases for intact knee, a complete radial posterior lateral meniscus root tear, a complete radial posterior lateral meniscus root tear with posterior meniscofemoral ligament deficiency, and total meniscectomy of the lateral meniscus. A compressive load of 1000 N was applied in all cases to calculate contact areas, contact pressure, and meniscal displacements.

RESULTS

The complete radial posterior lateral meniscus root tear decreased the contact area and increased the contact pressure on the lateral compartment under compressive load. We also found a decreased contact area and increased contact pressure in the medial compartment, but it was not obvious compared to the lateral compartment. The lateral meniscus was radially displaced by compressive load after a complete radial posterior lateral meniscus root tear, and the displacement took place mainly in the body and posterior horn of lateral meniscus. There were further decrease in contact area and increases in contact pressure and raidial displacement of the lateral meniscus in the case of the complete posterior lateral meniscus root tear in combination with posterior meniscofemoral ligament deficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

Complete radial posterior lateral meniscus root tear is not functionally equivalent to total meniscectomy. The posterior root torn lateral meniscus continues to provide some load transmission and distribution functions across the joint. The posterior meniscofemoral ligament prevents excessive radial displacement of the posterior root torn lateral meniscus and assists the torn lateral meniscus in transmitting a certain amount of stress in the lateral compartment.

The therapeutic effect of rosuvastatin on cardiac remodelling from hypertrophy to fibrosis during the end-stage hypertension in rats

End-stage hypertensive heart disease is an increasing cause of cardiac mortality. Therefore, the current study focused on the cardiac remodelling from hypertrophy to fibrosis in old-aged spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), and explored the therapeutic effects of Rosuvastatin and its possible mechanism(s) of action. Spontaneously hypertensive rats at age 52 weeks were randomly divided into three groups, the first two to receive Rosuvastatin at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day and 40 mg/kg/day, respectively, and the third to receive placebo, which was to be compared with Wistar-Kyoto as controls. After 2-month treatment, SBP, heart to body weight ratio (HW/BW%) and echocardiographic features were evaluated, followed by haematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichrome staining in conjunction with qPCR of foetal gene expressions. Transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assay and immunofluorescent labelling for active caspase-3 were used to detect the apoptotic cardiomyocytes. Signaling pathways involved were examined by using western blot. Old-aged SHR developed end-stage hypertensive heart disease characterized by significant enhancement of HW/BW%, LVAWd and LVPWd, and decreased LVEF and LVFS, accompanied by cardiomyocytes enlargement and fibrosis along with activation of foetal gene programme. Cardiac apoptosis increased significantly during the transition process. Rosuvastatin reduced hypertrophy significantly via AT₁ Receptor-PKCβ2/α-ERK-c-fos pathway; protected myocardium against apoptosis via Akt-FOXO1, Bcl-2 family and survivin pathways and consequently suppressed the caspase-3 activity. The present study revealed that old-aged SHRs developed cardiac remodelling from hypertrophy to fibrosis via cardiac apoptosis during the end stage of hypertensive heart disease. These pathological changes might be the consequence of activation of AT₁ Receptor-PKCβ2/α-ERK-c-fos and AKT-FOXO1/Bcl-2/survivin/Caspase3 signaling. Rosuvastatin effectively attenuated the structural changes by reversing the signaling transductions involved.

Cold-nuclear-matter effects on heavy-quark production in d+Au collisions at sqrt[S(NN)]=200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment has measured electrons and positrons at midrapidity from the decays of hadrons containing charm and bottom quarks produced in d+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt[S(NN)]=200 GeV in the transverse-momentum range 0.85 ≤ p(T)(e) ≤ 8.5 GeV/c. In central d+Au collisions, the nuclear modification factor R(dA) at 1.5<p(T)<5 GeV/c displays evidence of enhancement of these electrons, relative to those produced in p+p collisions, and shows that the mass-dependent Cronin enhancement observed at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider extends to the heavy D meson family. A comparison with the neutral-pion data suggests that the difference in cold-nuclear-matter effects on light- and heavy-flavor mesons could contribute to the observed differences between the π(0) and heavy-flavor-electron nuclear modification factors R(AA).

Observation of direct-photon collective flow in Au + Au collisions at √s(NN)] = 200 GeV

The second Fourier component v(2) of the azimuthal anisotropy with respect to the reaction plane is measured for direct photons at midrapidity and transverse momentum (p(T)) of 1-12 GeV/c in Au + Au collisions at √s(NN)] = 200 GeV. Previous measurements of this quantity for hadrons with p(T) < 6 GeV/c indicate that the medium behaves like a nearly perfect fluid, while for p(T) > 6 GeV/c a reduced anisotropy is interpreted in terms of a path-length dependence for parton energy loss. In this measurement with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider we find that for p(T) > 4 GeV/c the anisotropy for direct photons is consistent with zero, which is as expected if the dominant source of direct photons is initial hard scattering. However, in the p(T) < 4 GeV/c region dominated by thermal photons, we find a substantial direct-photon v(2) comparable to that of hadrons, whereas model calculations for thermal photons in this kinematic region underpredict the observed v(2).

Enhancement of bandgap emission of Pt-capped MgZnO films: important role of light extraction versus exciton-plasmon coupling

We present on a systematic study of the contribution of surface plasmon (SP) coupling and light extraction toward emission enhancement of Platinum (Pt) nano-patterns capped MgZnO films. Time resolved Photoluminescence (PL) results indicate that the Pt coating can greatly reduces the non-radiative recombination rate by passivation of surface states, making the decay slow down. Temperature dependence of the integrated photoluminescence intensity reveals that the Pt nano-patterns can offer a large amount of light transfer and scattering, which enormously increase the light extraction efficiency up to 3.8-fold. These results indicate that the increased light extraction efficiency caused by surface modification via Pt coating rather than SP coupling plays a dominant role in increasing bandgap emission of MgZnO film.

Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle θ(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GWth-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10,416 (80,376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R=0.940±0.011(stat.)±0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2θ(13)=0.092±0.016(stat.)±0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.